[Event "Madrid"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/OFBh"] [Date "2022.06.18"] [White "Fabiano Caruana"] [Black "Teimour Radjabov"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/loepare"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B32"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: O'Kelly Variation, Maróczy Bind, Geller Line"] [StudyName "2022 FIDE Candidates - Annotated by GM Jacob Aagaard"] [ChapterName "Fabiano Caruana - Teimour Radjabov"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/fhBzjnqz/U6L90Rl0"] [Orientation "white"] { Caruana was the biggest favorite of the day. Radjabov looks dejected and sad and beating him with White would not just be needed, but also expected. Caruana did not disappoint. He won a clear win with just one mistake that never mattered, as it was unexploited. } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6? { This reminds me of Korchnoi's classic rejection of the 4...a6 Slav as giving away a free tempo for nothing. } 3. c4 Nc6 (3... d6 4. d4 Bg4!? 5. dxc5 (5. d5 g6 { makes perfect sense for Black. In the Benoni structure the light-squared bishop is often superfluous. Yes, the Benoni is generally a bad opening and the two bishops is still giving White an advantage, but if a 2650-player wants to create a game with a 2300-player, this could create imbalances. White is better after } 6. Qa4+ Qd7 { 7.Qb3 and White has managed to misplace the black pieces. } (6... Nd7 7. Ng1!! b5 8. Qc2 { and Black has to sacrifice a pawn with } 8... Nb6 $16 { for dubious compensation. })) 5... Bxf3 6. gxf3 dxc5 { , but even this endgame is sad. } 7. Qxd8+ Kxd8 8. Be3 e6 9. Nc3 { and long castling is much better for White. But it is imbalanced and Black's results are not so bad in practice. }) 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e5 6. Nf5 d5 7. cxd5 Bxf5 8. exf5 Nd4 9. Bd3! { This move shows Caruana's maturity and cunning. } (9. Nc3 Nf6 10. Bd3 $14 { would have followed Radjabov's preparation. Caruana's move is obviously decent and it avoids playing against a computer. }) 9... Qxd5 { Radjabov decides to win back the pawn. } (9... Nf6 10. O-O { is possible. It is possible that } 10... Be7 { would not give White better than a transposition to the main line. But also } 11. Re1!? $14 { exists. }) 10. Nc3 Qd7 (10... Qxg2?? 11. Be4 Qh3 12. Qa4+ b5 13. Nxb5 { and White wins. }) 11. O-O Nf6 { This may be inaccurate. If "nothing" happens, Black could easily drift into a worse position in many ways. } (11... O-O-O!? { makes sense here. } 12. Be3! { This is the most venomous. } (12. Re1 Nxf5! { Black is fine. } (12... Nc6 13. Bc4 Bc5 $14 { also looks playable. }) 13. Rxe5 (13. Qa4 Qxa4 14. Bxf5+ Qd7 { is as close to equality as it needs to be. }) 13... Qxd3 14. Qxd3 Rxd3 15. Rxf5 f6 { Black has essentially survived the opening. The pressure in the endgame is symbolic. }) 12... Kb8 (12... Nxf5? 13. Bxf5 Qxf5 14. Qa4 $18 { would give White a quick and efficient attack. }) 13. Rc1 Nf6 $14 { This is scary for Black, but White has to prove the advantage. I would choose this over losing a pawn six days a week. }) 12. Bg5 Be7 13. Re1 O-O-O? { This time this does not make sense. On top of being a pawn down, Black also has an exposed king on the queenside. } (13... O-O! 14. Rxe5 Rfe8 $14 { would give Black a good deal of drawing chances still. } 15. Bc4 Rad8 16. Nd5 Nxd5 17. Rxd5 Qc7 18. Bxe7 Rxd5 19. Bxd5 Qxe7 20. g3 Nxf5 $14 { would be an endgame Radjabov would expect to hold, even though White can apply a bit of pressure still. }) 14. Rxe5 Nc6 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Rd5 Qe7 17. Bc4 $16 { White has consolidated the position and enjoys both the extra pawn and a safer king's position. The opposite colored bishops are not of much help to Black. The endgame with high drawing probabilities is far away and meanwhile he will find that the strong white bishop is pushing on all his weaknesses. } 17... Kb8 18. Qd3? { This is really an ugly move that walks straight into a knight fork and basically loses a tempo. } (18. g3!? $16 { , improving the position, would make a lot of sense. }) 18... Qb4?! (18... Qc7! { would leave White without a satisfying move. For example } 19. Bb3 Ne7 20. Rxd8+ Rxd8 21. Qe4 Rd2 { and the before mentioned endgame may be closer than could have been imagined a few moves ago. }) 19. Bb3 Nd4 20. Qc4 { This is a difficult debate. I did not like this move when I saw it. But the endgame is really good for White and it is impossible to fault Caruana for going for it. } (20. Qe4!? { , keeping the queens on the board was also strong. }) 20... Qxc4 21. Bxc4 Rc8 22. Bd3 { Regrouping the bishop to the ideal e4-square, where it can push on the b7-pawn. } 22... Nc6 23. Be4 Rhe8 24. f3 Re7?! { This is too slow. White is allowed to consolidate, after which the game is decided. } (24... Ne5!? $16 { with various ideas like ...Nc4 as well as ...Re7 followed by ...Nd7-b6. }) 25. Rad1 $18 h6 26. Kf2 Rcc7 27. R5d2 { Forcing a favorable exchange. It turns out it was even more accurate to do it with } (27. R5d3! { on account of } 27... Nb4 28. R3d2 Bxc3 29. bxc3 Rxc3 30. a3!! { and 31.Rd7. When you have a technically winning position, you look out for dangers of counterplay and not for deep tactical solutions to non-existent problems. }) 27... Bxc3 28. bxc3 Ne5 29. Rc1?! { But this is ugly. } (29. Kg3!! Rxc3 30. Rd8+ Ka7 31. Kh4!! { , when White is planning f5-f6 later and for this reason Black may be to play it himself, leading to an entry point for the king on g6, as in the game. }) 29... f6? { This may look as if it is reinforcing the knight. But in reality it is weakening the g6-square for later. } (29... Ng4+!? $16 { to put the knight on f6 made sense. }) 30. Kg3 { Caruana finds the winning plan easily, once the entry point has been created. } 30... Ka7 31. Rd4 Rc5 32. Kh4 Rec7 33. Kh5 b5 34. f4 Nd7 35. Rcd1 Nb6 36. R1d3 Na4 { Black has definitely managed to create counterplay on the queenside. But it is arriving late late late. This part of the game is visually more exciting than I think the players felt it was during the game. } 37. Kg6 Nxc3 38. Bf3 Nxa2 39. Rd7 Nc3 40. Kxg7 b4 41. Kxf6 b3 42. Rd2 a5 43. Ke6 { This is good enough to win, but it seems odd to move the king towards the center. } (43. Kg6 a4 44. f6 a3 45. f7 b2 46. f8=Q b1=Q+ 47. f5 { was a safe win. The white king is perfectly in the clear. }) 43... Rxd7 44. Rxd7+ Ka6 45. f6 b2 46. f7 b1=Q 47. f8=Q Qg6+ 48. Qf6 Qe8+ 49. Kd6 Rc4 50. Rc7! (50. Ra7+ Kb6 51. Rb7+ Ka6 52. Rb3 { is a funny computer win. Caruana's is human. The possibility of something funny happening is greatly reduced. }) 50... Kb5 (50... Ne4+ 51. Bxe4 Qxe4 { during the game. Strongest is } 52. f5! a4 53. Qe6 { and White wins. }) 51. Qe5+! { The simplest way to win the game. } 51... Qxe5+ 52. fxe5 Rxc7 53. Kxc7 Kc5 54. e6 Nb5+ 55. Kd7 a4 56. e7 { Black resigned. } 56... Nd6 57. Bd1 a3 58. Bb3 { and it is curtains. } 1-0